Online Reporter
Luthando Mapepa
Correspondent
WORKERS in Manicaland, alongside millions across Zimbabwe and the world, today marked International Workers’ Day, with labour representatives urging employers to urgently implement programmes and incentives that improve employee welfare.
International Workers’ Day — also known as Labour Day in some countries and commonly referred to as May Day in Zimbabwe — is observed annually on May 1.
It is a day dedicated to honour labourers and the working class, championed by the international labour movement.
This year’s commemorations take place against the backdrop of Government efforts to position itself as an employer of choice, introducing incentives such as school fee support to boost morale among civil servants.
However, despite these initiatives, concerns remain.
Some workers’ unions have highlighted neglect by certain local authorities in Manicaland, with reports of councils going for months without paying salaries.
In an interview, secretary general of the Zimbabwe Urban and Rural Council Workers’ union Mr Chamunorwa Zindimi, called for urgent Government intervention.
“As we commemorate Workers’ Day, our message is clear: Government must intervene to resolve salary issues in councils, as many are failing to pay workers on time,” he said. He noted that some councils have delayed salaries for over six months, adding: “It has almost become normal for councils to delay salaries, and this must come to an end. We urgently call on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene.”
Mr Zindimi further criticised council managers for failing to uphold conditions of service for junior employees, while senior managers continue to enjoy benefits.
“This inequality must be addressed,” he stressed.
Ultimately, Workers’ Day is, not only a celebration, but also a platform to recognise the vital role of workers in making Manicaland a hub of productivity. It is a moment of reflection — on how working conditions, dignity, and livelihoods can be improved for all.
Hard-pressed employees in Manicaland have appealed to employers to urgently introduce flexi-hours and remote working arrangements to cushion them against soaring transport costs, as fuel prices surged for the third time in two months.
Workers told The Manica Post that commuting now consumes more than 40 percent of their salaries, forcing many to demand food hampers, transport allowances, and internet data bundles to stay afloat.
“What is the point of coming to work when I spend US$6 a day on transport yet I earn US$180 a month? I am working to enrich the kombi owner,” said Mr Tinashe Mutsvangwa, a data clerk at a Mutare freight company.
He urged employers to adopt hybrid work models: “If our duties can be done on a laptop, let us work from home for a week and report the next. Give us flexi-time to avoid peak-hour fares. Better still, negotiate bulk transport with ZUPCO or private players. Employers must choose remote work or food hampers — they cannot give us nothing while expecting full productivity.”
Ms Patience Chiwara (41), a nurse aide at a private clinic in Chipinge, said women are bearing the brunt of the crisis as they balance school runs, market trips, and long shifts.
“I leave home at 4.30am to catch the cheapest ride, and I get back at 8pm. Employers should consider compressed four-day weeks, grocery allowances, and even on-site vegetable gardens. If you cannot increase salaries, reduce the cost of coming to work. This is the 21st century — we can clock in online.”For younger workers, debts have become a survival tool.
Mr Godfrey Madziva, a junior technician at a Rusape engineering firm, said he borrowed US$50 this month just to cover transport.
“Route fares jumped from US$1 to US$2 per trip to Nyazura. That is US$4 a day. How do I survive? Management must think outside the office. Provide food hampers, pay a data allowance, or even set up a subsidised staff canteen. If they ignore us, absenteeism will rise and skilled people will quit.”
Labour unions have backed the workers’ demands, warning that production will collapse unless companies adapt to the new realities of rising fuel costs and shrinking wages.
